Upper extremity injuries are common in many sports, yet the evidence guiding how to prevent them in female, woman, and girl (female/woman/girl hereafter) athletes is surprisingly scarce. We recently conducted a systematic review to identify which prevention strategies work, and which modifiable risk factors might contribute to these injuries in female/woman/girl athletes (1). Our findings […]
Tag: women in sport
The potential outcomes of interpersonal violence for women’s artistic gymnasts
Why is this study important? Following the 2020 Netflix documentary “Athlete A,” hundreds of former elite gymnasts have come forward with accounts of psychological and physical violence, sexual harassment/abuse, and organizational neglect. While research has identified these experiences as abusive, we have lacked a comprehensive understanding of their potential long-term consequences. This study fills this […]
The SWEREX study: Understanding Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rates in Higher-Level Athletes.
Key words: Anterior Cruciate Ligament; Epidemiology; Women in sport This blog is based on a recently published study in BJSM (1). Why is this study important? Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a major problem for athletes involved in pivoting sports at all levels(2-4). Understanding how often these injuries happen, who is most at risk, […]
“I won’t play or train if it’s a heavy day.”
Researching the menstrual cycle and its impact on the enjoyment of sport and exercise The hot topic of the menstrual cycle and menstruation continues to be recognised as a significant factor to consider in sport and exercise research. Indeed, the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) has called for more high quality, evidence-based, […]
A battle cry for change in the female running world: physicians are listening
Let’s start to discuss how we can reframe women’s running culture from the lens of the medical professional. By Emily Kraus, MD @emilykrausMD It was the day after elite runner Mary Cain bravely shared her riveting story of the unhealthy pressures and emotional abuse she experienced while training under Alberto Salazar at the Nike Oregon […]
Of Mice and Men (and Women)
By Dr Nicky Keay @nickyKfitness “We need to treat individual women, not statistics” was the concluding sentence of an insightful BMJ Editorial 2019 [1] However, as Caroline Criado Perez points out in her recent, science prizing-winning book, ‘Invisible Women’, in many instances there are no scientific or medical statistics on women [2]. The efficacy of […]
Empowering female athletes in 2019
“When I go to the Boston Marathon now, I have wet shoulders—women fall into my arms crying. They’re weeping for joy because running has changed their lives. They feel they can do anything.” In 1967, 20-year-old Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to complete the all-male Boston Marathon as an official entrant. Registered as ‘K.V. […]
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in female athletes [Part 1: Recognition and diagnosis]
By Dr Craig Sheridan @DrCraigSheridan and Mr Simon Tarsha Menorrhagia affects approximately one quarter of women aged 18–57 years(1). The preferred terms to describe menorrhagia are heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). The latter broadly describes menstrual abnormalities including post-coital bleeding (PCB), inter-menstrual bleeding (IMB), as well as HMB. Statistical criteria for HMB (of […]
Highlights from Sports Medicine Australia’s Women In Sport Event 2018
By Charlie Bradshaw @charlie31_ Those lucky enough to attend Sports Medicine Australia’s Women in Sport (WIS) event experienced a day jam-packed with learning, healthy debates and fun. Experts presented on hot topics impacting female athletes including Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome (RED-S), hypermobility, eating disorders and exercise during different stages of the female life cycle. We also […]
Blood, Sweat and Fears: Women in Sport and Exercise Conference 2018
By Dr Jacky Forsyth @JackyForsyth @WiseConf18 Research on women and how a woman’s body responds to exercise lags far behind the research carried out on men. For instance, there is limited research on how variations in hormones can affect sports performance [1], and females are significantly under-represented in research in sports and exercise medicine […]